Life Lessons and Education During My Walks

When I started out with my exercise routine of walking around the track at my local college little did I know that I would get another form of education and get some life lessons in the process.

I have always been someone who liked to either sit in a mall or park and just people watch. I guess it is a little judgemental because you usually end up noticing what a person is wearing or maybe just a demeanor someone has but it has been an educational experience just in general.

There is the older couple who stroll around the track who I have found out that the wife is the caregiver for the husband who has Alzheimer's and this is their daily exercise that they both can still do. What an inspiration his wife is in that she is still able to get him out of the house for a little exercise.

Recently one of the women walked with me after seeing that the t-shirt I was wearing had a "cancer" ribbon on the back. It turned out that she is a two-time cancer survivor at age 42. She is attending classes at the college now and likes to walk a couple days a week. We had an enlightening conversation on her care-giving patients that she has and how she fell into the job after her cancer diagnosis.

Sometimes I feel as though I can't not listen to some of the conversations going on around me. I hate to relate to the old "saying opinions are like (you fill in the blank) everybody has one". Some of us are more opinionated then other's but I guess that's what makes the world go round.

I am baffled at the differences in walkers. So many are walking with canes, walkers or even assisted by others but at least the are doing something. Lots of mother's have the kids in the strollers and a few I have seen carrying them in body packs with the baby inside. Talk about motivation!

Of course I get more out of the walks if I focus just on what I am doing and not those around me but you can't help but get caught up sometime. I am seriously thinking about investing in an I-Pod but it probably will take a little of the fun out of what goes around and around the track.